Cleveland's CHIMAIRA has finished mastering the band's new album, "The Infection", at Sterling Sound in New York City with Ted Jensen and Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, SHADOWS FALL, AGNOSTIC FRONT, TERROR, THE ACACIA STRAIN). "Sonically, this album sounds amazing," vocalist Mark Hunter writes on the group's web site. "Ben [Schigel, producer], Zeuss [who mixed the CD] and Ted did an amazing job making our vision come to reality. The album has exceeded everyone in this band's expectations. Now we all get to play the game 'hurry up and wait' as we won't be posting a new track for a little bit because our record labels (yes, I said labels) need to listen to the album and hear the songs before you guys. I trust you understand. After all, they did pay for us to record them; it's only fair they get first dibs."

Check out photos from the studio at Chimaira.com.

"The Infection" is scheduled for release in North America on April 21 via Ferret Music. CHIMAIRA has not yet disclosed the name of the label that will release the new album in territories outside North America (the group is no longer signed to Nuclear Blast, which released 2007's "Resurrection" in Europe).

D.X. Ferris of the Cleveland Scene recently conducted an interview with CHIMAIRA frontman Mark Hunter and rhythm guitarist Matt DeVries about "The Infection". The new record will arrive in five different versions: a songs-only download, a CD with a making-of bonus DVD, a box set, a vinyl version and a special edition with b-sides (one of which may be a cover of STATE OF CONVICTION's "Convictions", which CHIMAIRA recorded with STATE OF CONVICTION singer Jason "J Mann" Popson).

Regarding the new CD's musical direction, Hunter said, "The album is a little slower than people might be expecting. It's at this groove tempo where the whole time you can't stop bobbing your head. Some of the songs are 'Venom Inside', 'Secrets of the Dead', 'Destroy and Dominate'. There's one song in particular I think Cleveland fans will enjoy: It's called 'The Heart of It All'. We're no stranger to doing instrumental songs. And as we were writing it, I kept thinking, 'Wow, it sounds like Cleveland to me.' It's long, epic." DeVries added, "I've been super-stoked on everything, and we're proud of everything. But for this record, it's a different kind of taste, and it's a different kind of stoked. Every single song is catchy to us and has a lot of groove and has a lot of CHIMAIRA in it."